1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic patch device, network system, and operation method in the network system, and more particularly, to a network system having backup equipment in preparation for a fault of network equipment to operate without interruption and an operation method in the network system.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, the information and communication field is under rapid development mainly based on local area networks (LANs) and the Internet. In particular, a huge number of personal computers (PCs) that have proliferated since the mid-1980s have shown capabilities in a variety of application fields, such as data processing, database management, word processing, plant control, and email, in offices, plants, laboratories, etc. of public institutions or companies. To cope with the demand for information processing in such a variety of fields, computers are prepared in all departments, and connected with each other to construct a network environment, which has naturally become a trend.
As many objects, such as office automation (OA) and factory automation (FA), have been achieved using computers on the basis of such a network, tasks need to be processed rapidly and accurately, and respective companies establish intranets to increase work efficiency using clients and a server. Also, with the progress of FA, a great number of production facilities and control facilities have increased productivity and management efficiency using networks. However, due to an increase in the number of clients accessing a server, production facilities, etc. and the advent of various applications, network environments managed by respective companies have become very complicated, and many difficulties have occurred in network management whereby the network environments are maintained.
FIG. 1 illustrates a constitution of a general network system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the network system includes a server farm 10, a server farm switch 20, a distribution switch 30, a terminal switch 40, and a terminal 50.
The server farm 10 includes a plurality of servers, and is configured with primary servers and secondary servers in a dual structure.
The server farm switch 20 is a network switch connected to the respective servers of the server farm 10, and configured in a dual structure.
The distribution switch 30 is a network switch connected between the server farm switch 20 and the terminal switch 40 to relay data and signals, and configured in a dual structure. In some network systems, the server farm switch 20 or the distribution switch 30 is used for both functions.
The terminal switch 40 is a network switch connected to the terminal 50, and configured in a single structure.
FIG. 2 illustrates connection in a conventional network system.
Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional network system has a structure in which a terminal switch 40 and a terminal 50 are connected through an I-shaped patch panel 60.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the conventional network system, the server farm 10, the server farm switch 20, and the distribution switch 30 are implemented in a dual structure. Thus, even when a fault occurs, the network can be operated using preliminary equipment without interruption. Also, when a part of the network needs a task to modify the constitution, configuration, etc. of the network, the constitution, configuration, etc. of the network can be modified using preliminary equipment without interruption.
However, the number of the terminal switches 40 and the number of the terminals 50 are far more than the number of the server farm switches 20 and the number of the distribution switches 30, and significant cost is required to dualize their structures. Also, terminals are not standardized and have a variety of characteristics. For these reasons, it is difficult to dualize the structures of the terminal switches 40 and the terminals 50. Thus, there is no remedy but to implement the terminal switches 40 and the terminals 50 in single structures, and communication is interrupted when a fault occurs in the terminal switches 40. In this way, when the whole network system stops operating due to a fault of the terminal switches 40, communication is interrupted until the terminal switches 40 are normalized. Consequently, a problem may occur in production during the interruption time, causing huge loss in productivity.